Less than a week to Kili! It is a dream about to come true. I am incredibly excited and I feel that I am ready to climb! I reviewed and double checked that I am taking with me all the things suggested by our Kili Sister L-A, and I realized that for this adventure I also need to take with me lots of energy, happiness, tolerance and most importantly respect for myself, for others and for the environment. I am going to climb Mt Kilimanjaro with my family and my friends that I will carry in my heart and best…

I love sports! Oh, let me qualify – I love watching sports! Actually, the first statement was initially correct because, as a youngster, I was very involved in sports and, although I say so myself, I was actually quite good. My best achievements were mainly in athletics particularly long jump, high jump and 100m sprint. Therefore, it came as a great disappointment, when I was about 18, that this all had to end due to a knee injury. Four operations and many years later, osteoarthritis having spread to most of my joints, I had accepted the fact that sports, even…

Only 67 days left until our Kili experience!!! I cannot believe that I am already mid-way through my MBA program, time really flies, and each day seems faster and faster. I have been through so many challenges, working with different people from different countries and backgrounds, being part of activities that I never thought I would be participating in. The entire MBA journey has given me unique tools, not only hard skills but has particularly strengthened my soft skills. Since I applied to participate in the Kilimanjaro project, I already feel somehow more powerful; especially when I tell people about…

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC – 531 BC) And in the case of our Kili climb the first step was the decision of 23 of us to signup for this journey. Since a few of us could finally participate, even the subscription itself was a journey! How do you make a video of yourself? What makes a good elevator pitch? And how do you then combine the two in a result that will get you a ticket to participate in this marvellous challenge to climb Kilimanjaro with a group…

“That is what life is about – daring greatly, and being in the arena.” – Brené Brown What keeps us from stepping into the arena? Let’s look at some facts. Of the top Fortune 500 companies, currently only four percent of CEOs are women. In the US, 47 percent of the labor force is women, and let’s assume the global population is a 50/50 split. I can’t help but wonder – what is preventing women from stepping into the arena? For sure, one part of the equation is the entrenched workplace challenges for women who wish to have families, and…

Chinese medicine teaches us that energy is the beginning of all progress, it underlies every motion in life. Recently I realized this is probably the most important preparation before embarking on any journey. I found myself asking: how do I increase my levels of energy physically, mentally and emotionally to reach high altitudes? In 3 months, God willing, this will be a physical height called Kilimanjaro. I’m learning the answer to my question by trial. In preparation for my climb to Kilimanjaro my conviction is being confirmed: closeness to nature and respectfully challenging my body and mind brings me the…

I did my first walking training yesterday. From Rotterdam to Delft, I walked for 17 km. It’s not a long distance compared to the Kilimanjaro hiking. But it’s a important starting point for me. To be honest, the training itself was light and pleasant. It is the best days of the whole year in the Netherlands, with sunshine and mild wind. My legs started to get sore after 2 hours of walking. But the beautiful scenery along the road easily distracted me, and I am no longer in pain. It may be hard to believe, but compared to the training,…

So, I’ve grabbed the opportunity and said ‘yes’ to the challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro… Yes…..and now? We’re supposed to learn about women empowerment, leadership and meeting challenges (or rather not avoiding challenges any longer). But half the time I’m not sure what these words mean. Take Leadership. Capital ‘L’ of course. I’m too modest to call myself a Leader. I’m a manager, perhaps even a (good) Manager. But Leader? Nelson Mandela was a Leader and Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King and Aung San Suu Kyi. People who change the course of history, they’re Leaders. Or can the term be used…

I would like to dedicate this (my first blog ever!) to my mother, Mapitso Jeanette Phajane. She is always the person who comes to my mind whenever I reflect on what it means to be a woman who leads and the kind of leader I aspire to be. My mother was a teacher by training; however life and fortitude turned her into a pioneer, community leader, coach, tutor, care-giver, mentor, and a guide who shaped the lives of all she encountered. I have countless memories of meeting former pupils or people who crossed her path that simply had to pay…

Thursday May 16th 2013 around 17h00, I am still at RSM working on an assignment. I received an Email from Hetty…I’m in! Really?… I’m in…, but I feel almost scared… Ohhh, I need to speak to my husband…”that’s cool” he says… I need to speak to my sisters… to my mum (she doesn’t pick up)… Ok. So what now? Can’t really answer that question now, I’m too excited to think. So I run around to see if I find any other future “Kili sister”, and on the way I’m telling whoever wants to hear it that I’m in…. One day…